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Let the 2013 TV midseason forever be known as the season of the sensitive serial killer, because it seems like everywhere you turn, there's a new show about the joys of slicing victims open for fun (or about learning about those joys). Fox's hollow The Following features a literary-professor-turned-eyeball-collector and a cult of dimwitted followers. A&E's Bates Motel has turned back the clock to tell a passable coming-of-age story of a young Norman "Psycho" Bates. And now NBC has Hannibal, a prequel of the Silence of the Lambs prequel Red Dragon. 

But is Hannibal a killer new series or just a copycat that'll give me a chance to murder a bunch of terrible puns? I've seen the pilot episode and I'm here to answer your questions in another edition of "Hey TV.com, Should I Watch [This Show]?"  

Hannibal? What is this, some sort of Silence of the Lambs prequel? 

Yes! But, as I said above, it's even more prequel-y than that! Hannibal is set before the events of Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon, and stars Hugh Dancy (The Big C) as socially awkward FBI profiler Will Graham. After taking time off from hunting serial killers to lecture at the academy, he's brought back into the fold by the agency's head of behavioral sciences Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) when a particularly nasty man in Minnesota starts killing young women. Crawford eventually recruits Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, Casino Royale), who *spoiler alert for those of you who were just born three seconds ago* secretly likes to kill people and eat them, to help Graham catch other serial killers, and voila! You have yourself a TV show.

What kind of twisted mind is behind Hannibal? 

One of the best in the business, Bryan Fuller. The Wonderfalls, Pushing Daisies, and Mockingbird Lane creator gets a little more serious here, but his panache for morbid imagery and sharp dialogue is present even when he leaves his normal fancifulness at home.

When does Hannibal serve its first course?

Hannibal debuts on Thursday, April 4 in the 10pm death slot on NBC. The first season is a firm 13 episodes long, and I won't be surprised if NBC has a long leash on this one. You can probably watch it without fear of it being canceled early.

What kind of audience will lap up Hannibal? 

There's a cable sensibility to Hannibal, and that's immediately apparent in the opening scene, which uses half of the episode's fake-blood budget in just a few minutes. But wanton violence isn't the only draw here. Hannibal is for the Hannibal Lecter in all of us, the type of person who embraces gore and violence from an intellectual level. With strong characters and gruesome crime scenes, there's a bit of Sherlock and Dexter rolled into one show.

What makes Hannibal work?

First and foremost, tone. Between Fuller's creepy imagination and director David Slade's (Awake) eye for darkness, Hannibal is total eyeball candy for those of us too old to paint our fingernails black anymore. Hannibal's score—which is mostly effective, buzzy electronic tones and chirps that sound like someone fell asleep on the keyboard—punctuates the schizophrenia of its central characters. But what really makes Hannibal so much better than the aforementioned midseason slaughterhouse shows is its attention to the psychology of killing (rather than just blaming it on Edgar Allen Poe), mostly conveyed through Graham's ability to reenact horrific murder scenes within his supremely empathetic imagination by virtually placing himself in the killers' boots. And acting! These dudes can totally act, particularly Dancy as the hinge-less, angry, and uncooperative Graham. Mikkelsen's Lecter is nicely subdued, too.

What won't we like about Hannibal?

As with all FBI profiler series, things feel reverse-engineered to fit the allotted time of network television, but that's more of an inherent problem with the genre than with this particular show. Sticklers will also question some of the procedures, like how Graham and Lecter end up pursuing killers alone despite the fact that Graham is an unstable agent and Lecter isn't even an agent at all. And of course there's the big question of sustainability, which comes from knowing that Lecter won't be exposed as a serial people-eater despite working directly with one of the FBI's best profilers. 

Well, should I watch it or not?

I'm going to go ahead and say, "Yes sir/ma'am/gaseous cloud of extraterrestrial energy." Hannibal is a much more complete show than The Following, and one of the better new offerings NBC has put out in the past year.

Can I see a trailer?

Sure!

What should I drink with my viewing of Hannibal?

The easy answer is Chianti, but I'm going to say HUMAN BLOOD. With rum.

Hannibal premieres Thursday, April 4 at 10pm on NBC.

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This summer, Fox will launch an Adult Swim-esque "alternative animated programming block" called Animation Domination Hi-Def (ADHD, har), and featuring several new 15-minute animated series. One of those series will be Axe Cop, based on the popular web comic created in late 2009 by a five-year-old kid named Malachi and his 29-year-old brother, Ethan. As the story goes, Ethan and Malachi were playing pretend one day when Malachi invented the Axe Cop character; Ethan, a graphic artist, decided to transform his little bro's ideas into a web comic as a way of practicing the medium. And so was born an epic tale of an axe-wielding police officer whose adventures involve everything from babysitting to fighting zombies, dinosaurs, and robots.    

Here's the official logline for the show:

Operating on only two minutes of sleep a night and fueled by a diet consisting solely of birthday cake, awesome superhero AXE COP and his loyal partner, FLUTE COP, unleash their unique brand of vigilante justice on bad guys everywhere.

And here's the first official trailer, released this weekend at WonderCon:

Um, Parks and Recreation's Nick Offerman is voicing Axe Cop himself? And Giancarlo Esposito, Jonathan Banks, Ken Marino, Patton Oswalt, and Megan Mullally are also involved in the project? Sign me up. 

Axe Cop premieres as part of Fox's ADHD animation block on Saturday, July 27 at 11pm. 

View the original article here

The Walking Dead's Season 3 finale airs tonight at 9pm. Game of Thrones' Season 3 premiere airs tonight at... 9pm. And after seeing the internet's latest take on the Syrio Forel "not today" meme, we have a feeling we know where most people's priorities lie. But that won't stop us from asking anyway...

View the original article here

What to watch on Wednesday, April 3...

8pm, The CW
Arrow
What’s this? Count Vertigo back to menace Starling City with his diabolical designer drugs? Tommy in trouble when a Verdant visitor parties ‘til she drops... dead? Can the Emerald Archer make sure the miscreants responsible get the point? Tune in to “Unfinished Business” tonight—same Arrow-time, same Arrow-channel!

8:30pm, ABC
Suburgatory
As Suburgatory nestles into its new timeslot with “Decemberfold,” George thumbs his nose at the buttoned-down strictures of the “family hour” by participating in a racy “Dads of Chatswin” calendar. Meanwhile, Lisa’s suspicions are aroused when Dalia is unusually friendly to Tessa.

MINISERIES PREMIERE, 9pm, BBC America
Spies of Warsaw
David Tennant stars as a French military attaché (not called simply, “The Attaché,” sadly) who becomes enmeshed in the diplomatic intrigues of interwar Europe in this two-part special based on Alan Furst’s novel series. Part one finds him taken aback by both an alluring Parisian lawyer and a chance discovery of German military preparations.

9pm, The CW
Supernatural
To tackle the Tablet’s second trial, Sam and Dean enlist the services of a reaper in “Taxi Driver.” Dean also realizes that he needs to track down Benny for a huge favor, so his fingers are crossed that today is the day of Benny’s daughter’s wedding.

SERIES PREMIERE, 9:30pm, ABC
How to Live With Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)
Straightlaced Polly (Sarah Chalke) must move back in with her flighty mom and stepdad (Elizabeth Perkins and Brad Garrett) after her divorce leaves her overwhelmed by single motherhood. Will her cautiously structured hot front and their freewheeling cold front collide into a thunderstorm of sitcom hilarity?

10pm, NBC
Chicago Fire
Severide endorses Mills’s bid to join Squad, but his colleagues aren’t quite as enthused, probably for fear of disrupting the highly delicate chemistry of their intramural 16-inch softball team. Rounding out “Ambition,” Dawson and Shay are shadowed by a paramedic candidate, Shay lends assistance to a woman facing pregnancy complications, and Casey welcomes a surprise guest.

10pm, FX
The Americans
Philip and Elizabeth are on their heels when a routine mission goes awry in “Safe House,” while the FBI is knocked back by an agent’s disappearance. Claudia, meanwhile, can’t shut up about the quirky Elvis impersonator she met in Chicago last week.

10pm, TNT
Southland
A drug dealer’s funeral incites trouble in the streets, and Lydia and Ruben’s investigation into the murder of Sgt. Hill’s son incites a quandary over police corruption. Elsewhere in “The Felix Paradox,” Ben begins to suspect the truth about Sammy and the tape, and everyone tries not to make rapping-genie jokes when an officer who looks suspiciously like Shaquille O’Neal pops up.

10pm, USA
Psych
Gus stumbles into danger while babysitting Rachel’s son in “Cirque Du Soul.” Their circus visit includes more dead bodies than one generally prefers to encounter on a circus visit, though perhaps the deceased’s orphan son will become the youthful ward and eventual crime-fighting partner of a billionaire playboy.

LATE-NITE:
– From Atlanta, Steven Yeun and Darius Rucker on Conan, 11pm, TBS
– Blake Shelton on Chelsea Lately, 11pm, E!
– Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, 11pm, Comedy Central
– Philosopher A.C. Grayling on The Colbert Report, 11:30pm, Comedy Central
– Rosario Dawson, Max Greenfield, and Gloriana on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 11:35pm, NBC
– Louis C.K., Rachel Maddow, and Flaming Lips on Late Show with David Letterman, 11:35pm, CBS
– Russell Brand, Bob Costas, and Gary Allan on Jimmy Kimmel Live, 11:35pm, ABC
– Sarah Silverman, Hugh Dancy, and Gordon Lightfoot on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 12:37am, NBC

View the original article here

What to watch on Friday, March 29...

8pm & 8:30pm, ABC
Happy Endings
ABC’s red-headed stepchild sitcom bows on its new night and time, beginning with Brad and the gang striving to rescue his workplace from going under in “In the Heat of the Noche.” That’s followed by “The Straight Dope,” which gives us Max posing as a straight dude to gain access to a woman’s Bulls season tickets, and Alex surprising the group by trying to evolve past her dumb-blonde rep.

8pm, The CW
Nikita
“Inevitability” puts Nikita and Alex at odds when the former recommends Division assassinate the president of Chad while he’s visiting Paris. Couple this episode with that House, M.D. where Chase had to treat a dictator, and I’d guess that TV Tropes gets its “ethical quandaries over killing African heads of state” page together by Monday at the latest.

9pm, The CW
Cult
Skye is much the worse for wear after being drugged at last week’s Cult fan party, and it’s up to Jeff to procure a remedy in “The Good Fight.” Let’s all take a moment to appreciate the synchronicity of Matt Davis, who, though no longer a part of The Vampire Diaries, is still spending some of his 2013 searching for a cure in order to thwart lunatics.

9pm, NBC
Grimm
NBC’s press site bills “Nameless” as a take on the tale of Rumpelstiltskin. Since the plot entails Nick and Hank venturing online to pursue a murderous Wesen, I suppose they’ll have to guess the culprit’s user name to bring him down. Or maybe they’ll have to spin straw into bitcoin.

9pm, Fox
Touch
Martin locates Dr. Teller’s first patient in “Clockwork,” but it’s kind of a good news/bad news situation. The good news is that the man has vital information. The bad news? He’s a few hours away from receiving the death penalty for triple-homicide, and he won’t spill his guts until Martin can reunite him with his estranged daughter.

LATE-NITE:
– Chelsea Handler, 105-year-old Edythe Kirchmaier, and Sky Blu on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 11:35pm, NBC

What to watch on Saturday, March 30...

SPRING PREMIERE, 8pm, BBC America
Doctor Who
“The Bells of Saint John” greets the Doctor with a new adversary in the Spoonheads and a new companion in Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman). Ironically, while the Spoonheads have completely human-shaped heads, Clara is actually a five-foot-seven sentient spork.

SERIES PREMIERE, 9pm, BBC America
Orphan Black
Upon finding out she’s a clone, an orphan named Sarah is soon drawn into a perilous conspiracy in this new supernatural series. The opener finds Sarah escaping into a new identity after she observes the suicide of a woman who looks exactly like her. And yes, it’s all BBC America all the time here at What to Watch Saturday Amalgamated Industries, because...

SERIES PREMIERE, 10pm, BBC America
The Nerdist
Chris Hardwick’s eponymous podcast gets the small-screen treatment, presumably with fewer zombie discussions than occur during his watch on AMC. (Not no zombie discussions, I’m sure, just... fewer.) The host and his crew of correspondents chat with entertainers, scientists, and other representatives of the ever more ephemerally defined “nerd culture.”

What to watch on Sunday, March 31...

MINISERIES FINALE, 8pm, History
The Bible
“Passion” concludes the miniseries with Peter denying Jesus, who is later betrayed and crucified. (Don’t worry, it doesn’t take.) Meanwhile, Paul ventures out on a road trip to Damascus, which I’m sure will prove entirely routine and inconsequential.

SERIES 2 PREMIERE 8pm, PBS
Call the Midwife
It’s Jenny Lee’s birthday as the second season opens, but she doesn’t have much time to celebrate before meeting a new patient who faces troubling circumstances. Elsewhere, Trixie and Sister Evangelina tend to a young woman who's preparing to give birth aboard a Swedish cargo ship; hopefully the mother-to-be has a name picked out already, lest she scan the surroundings for inspiration and wind up with a kid named after a prefab credenza.

8pm, BBC America
The Doctors Revisited
Third Doctor Jon Pertwee is next in the queue for this monthly special. His selected outing is 1970’s “Spearhead from Space,” in which an alien consciousness threatens to annihilate humanity through the use of plastic replicas, because I guess everything on the air tonight wants to set up Ikea jokes.

SEASON 3 PREMIERE, 9pm, HBO
Game of Thrones
Hodor, Hot Pie, Dagmer Cleftjaw, and the whole gang are back for another fun-filled season of mystical romps and heartwarming life lessons. “Valar Dohaeris” (“all men must serve,” if your High Valyrian is rusty) kicks things off with Jon meeting King-Beyond-the-Wall Mance Rayder, Tyrion seeking his just reward for saving King’s Landing, Littlefinger scheming toward Sansa, and Dany setting sail for Slaver’s Bay.

SERIES PREMIERE, 9pm, PBS
Mr. Selfridge
Jeremy Piven stars as the titular department store magnate, a brash American who strikes it big in London, and you have my word that blurbs about this show will not make any jokes about him demanding that everybody “hug it out, wanker.” (Okay, not after that one.) In the first installment, the opening of Selfridges & Co. is stymied when Selfridge's business partner bails.

9pm, CBS
The Good Wife
It’s a pretty crowded slate tonight, and I was all set to bump The Good Wife for a week. But then “The Wheels of Justice” had to go and bring back Dylan Baker AND Gary Cole (AND Gary Cole’s mustache). So. You see the bind I’m in. Though perhaps not as much of a bind as the one Alicia and Will are in re: the prospect of being rid of Colin Sweeney. Or the one Diane is in re: rekindling things with Kurt McVeigh.

9pm, Showtime
Shameless
“Order Room Service” finds Fiona and the brood roughing it on a camping trip, so area squirrels are advised to lock up their acorns. Meanwhile, homeless Frank seeks the minimal creature comforts of a night in the family van and turns to Carl for assistance.

SEASON 3 FINALE, 9pm, AMC
The Walking Dead
With The Governor preparing to go on the offensive, the Penitentiary Pals must decide whether it’s worth defending home sweet prison in “Welcome to the Tombs.” Carl’s been perusing the abandoned base listings just in case, and he thinks he’s found a pretty sweet deal on a fixer-upper water treatment plant that's just up the road a spell.

And now, let’s all vote to crown the What to Watch Tonight Episode Title of the Week!

View the original article here

What to watch on Thursday, March 28...

8pm, The CW
The Vampire Diaries
This has been quite the globe-trotting season so far: First Canada, then New York, and now... small-town Pennsylvania! That’s where Elena and Rebekah go Katherine-hunting in “American Gothic,” and where they bump into Elijah for good measure. Oh, he’s not interested in Katherine or the cure or any of that meshugas—he’s just there for the best damn antiquing east of the Alleghany.

SEASON 1 FINALE, 8:30pm & 9:30pm, NBC
1600 Penn
Hannah Simone tries to bring some of that hip New Girl cred to NBC when she guest-stars as an Andorran princess in tonight’s first outing, “Bursting the Bubble.” And Larry King tries to bring some of that hip “Hey remember in the ‘90s when Larry King was a fairly huge TV pundit?” cred when he guest-stars as Larry King in the second episode and season finale, “Marry Me, Baby,” in which the legality of the president’s marriage may be revealed as less than complete. Sounds like a never-to-be-resolved cliffhanger to me! Because the show is almost certainly going to be canceled, I mean. 

SEASON 3 FINALE, 9pm & 9:30pm, Fox
Raising Hope
Either Fox is pulling one seriously goofy scheduling move here—bringing a Tuesday sitcom out of hibernation on a different night and time for its season finale—or this is by far the most elaborate theme episode Glee has ever attempted. Well, the first half-hour, “Burt Mitzvah: The Musical,” does find Burt turning to song to get in touch with his newly discovered Jewish heritage. No word on whether the second episode, “Mother’s Day,” will offer Maw-Maw the spotlight aria she’s long dreamt of when the Chances visit her childhood home.

9pm, ABC
Grey’s Anatomy
The hospital is flooded with victims of a highway gas tanker explosion, and considering the episode is called “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” it will be a huge missed opportunity if that explosion wasn’t caused by a careening speedwagon. Elsewhere, former TV doctor and new ABC employee Sarah Chalke needs Meredith and Jo to determine the source of her child’s unusual malady.

10pm, ABC
Scandal
It’s Pope & Associates to the rescue when Hollis’s daughter is kidnapped and when David needs sanctuary from the ongoing danger pursuing him. Meanwhile in “Snake in the Garden,” Olivia and Jake’s dalliance heats up, Mellie lays down the law with Fitz, and Cyrus connives to win back the president’s favor.

10pm, FX
Archer
Okay, so a spy, a valet, and the Pope walk into a bar. Well, maybe. Hey, it could be part of Archer’s plan to stop an assassination attempt on the pontiff in “The Papal Chase,” with Woodhouse in tow to act as a decoy. It’s not like it’d be the first plan of Archer’s to entail entering a bar.

10:30pm, Comedy Central
Nathan For You
Nathan’s fear of womenfolk prompts him to date 10 of them at once in what’s either a disquieting kind of shock therapy or a potentially dynamite chorus line. Also, Nathan tries to “scare up” some business for a haunted house, and yes, I’ve just been sued by the Cryptkeeper for making that pun.

11pm, AMC
Immortalized
Dave Houser and a challenger square off in a competition centered on the theme “First Love.” Um. This is... this is still a show about taxidermy, right? Animals? Corpses? Things that maybe don’t fit so snugly or, shall we say, lawfully, with facets of romantic love? AMC, you are already on a short leash after last week. Don’t press your luck.

LATE-NITE:
– Gerard Butler on Chelsea Lately, 11pm, E!
– Author Denise Kiernan on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, 11pm, Comedy Central
– Author and pediatric endocrinologist Robert Lustig on The Colbert Report, 11:30pm, Comedy Central
– Kim Kardashian, Willie Geist, and Imagine Dragons on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 11:35pm, NBC
– Dwayne Johnson, Saoirse Ronan, and Kendrick Lamar on Jimmy Kimmel Live, 11:35pm, ABC
– Tyler Perry, Nick Offerman, Thom Filicia, and Blake Shelton on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 12:37am, NBC

View the original article here

What to watch on Monday, April 1...

8pm, The CW
The Carrie Diaries
Carre prepares an ideal romantic evening with Sebastian; her plans rapidly fall apart, in accordance with Tripper’s First Law of Comical Misunderstandings. Meanwhile in “A First Time for Everything,” Dorrit turns to Donna for love-life pointers, and Mouse realizes that she’s developing a bit of a thing for West, which, c’mon Mouse, the rest of us got there like two weeks ago.

8pm, Fox
Bones
“The Maiden in the Mushrooms” finds the Jeffersonian squad investigating a TV producer’s murder, while Brennan struggles to process Christine’s antisocial behavior toward a classmate. Back at the lab, Hodgins devotes all the resources at his disposal to reverse-engineering Finn’s hot sauce recipe... for SCIENCE!

9pm, Fox
The Following
In the wake of their latest colossal botch-job leaving Claire in Joe’s clutches, the FBI turns its attention to an undercover location that may be connected to the cult and promptly figures out how it can make a hash of that too. Elsewhere in “Whips and Regret,” Claire settles in at Casa de Crackpot, and Emma and Jacob grapple with the fallout of the former’s betrayal.

9pm, Syfy
Being Human
While unforeseen complications greet Kenny’s awakening, Aidan, Josh, and Sally gear up to tussle with Donna in “Always a Bridesmaid, Never Alive.” According to Syfy’s promo clip, their stratagem involves her blood, hair, and nails, which suggests to me they cribbed this plan straight from Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest.

100th EPISODE, 10pm, ABC
Castle
Boy, what kind of rotten luck does a guy have to have to wind up sidelined for the 100th episode of his own show? A broken-legged Castle is none too pleased to be convalescing in the loft in “The Lives of Others,” but his interest is piqued when a murder mystery unfolds before his very eyes in the apartment across the street. All things considered, Beckett should be careful she doesn’t stumble onto a sprawling flock of creepy, homicidal birds.

10pm, A&E
Bates Motel
A stunning discovery greets Norman and Emma in “What’s Wrong With Norman,” while Dylan’s new job presents him with more than he bargained for. Both of these plotlines are probably referring to dinosaurs, right? Let’s assume it’s dinosaurs. You’d watch a show where Norman Bates befriends/rides around on a triceratops, wouldn’t you? Of course you would.

10pm, Sundance
Top of the Lake
Robin’s future with local law enforcement is endangered by a spot of violence as Episode 4 marks the midpoint of the seven-part miniseries. Refusing to abandon the case, she endeavors to gain the trust of a tight-lipped friend of Tui’s who may hold key information.

10pm, NBC
Revolution
Feeling the weight of a comrade’s sacrifice, Charlie and crew must find a way to soldier on in “Ghosts,” while a search to bolster ranks leads Miles and Nora to a lethal former militia colleague (Malik Yoba, late of Alphas). Rachel’s keeping busy herself, what with searching for a power source and trying to get back in Charlie’s good graces, all while evading Flynn.

LATE-NITE:
– From Atlanta, Seth Rogen, and Earthquake on Conan, 11pm, TBS
– Thandie Newton on Chelsea Lately, 11pm, E!
– Author Mary Roach on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, 11pm, Comedy Central
– Sigourney Weaver on The Colbert Report, 11:30pm, Comedy Central
– Matthew Perry, Kristen Schaal, and Goo Goo Dolls on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 11:35pm, NBC
– Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Altman, and The Band Perry on Late Show with David Letterman, 11:35pm, CBS
– Shaquille O’Neal and Demi Lovato on Jimmy Kimmel Live, 11:35pm, ABC
– Alec Baldwin, Emilia Clarke, Janelle Monae, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and the latest Celebrity Apprentice castoff on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 12:37am, NBC
– Toby Keith and J.R. Martinez on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, 12:37am, CBS

View the original article here

What to watch on Thursday, April 4...

8pm, CBS
The Big Bang Theory
A tenure opportunity pits the fellas against one another in “The Tenure Turbulence,” in what I can only imagine is the transmedia prologue for this summer’s most hotly anticipated video game, Mortal Kombat vs. Big Bang Theory Universe ($59.99 retail for Xbox and Playstation).

8:30pm, NBC
Parks and Recreation
“Partridge” is the name of both tonight's episode and the Minnesota hamlet a young Ben Wyatt once ruled with an iron fist and grandiose dreams of Ice Palaces as far as the eye could see. The former teen mayor returns with Leslie at his side this week, while back in Pawnee, Councilman Jamm sues Ron. That is plain not going to end well for Councilman Jamm even a tiny bit.

9pm, ABC
Grey’s Anatomy
Meredith and Derek take precautions for their kids’ futures after learning some worrisome news in “She’s Killing Me,” while April fesses up to Matthew about her bedroom experience. On the medical front, one doctor fears she may be responsible for the infections afflicting multiple pre-op patients, and Grey Sloan Memorial hosts a group of Syrian doctors seeking basic surgical skills.

9pm, CBS
Person of Interest
In “Trojan Horse,” Finch goes undercover to determine whether the latest POI, a high-level tech exec, is working to sabotage her own company from the inside. Not to tell Finch how to do his job, but her feverishly updated Tumblr tribute to Enlightened might be a clue. At the NYPD, Carter is rankled when Beecher turns over incriminating information about another detective.

9pm, Fox
New Girl
For the second straight week, Fox decides that what your Thursday night could use is a dash of Tuesday comedy. Will gobs of carryover viewers from American Idol fully appreciate the magnitude of “First Date,” which sends Jess and Nick off to solidify their fitful romance with a proper courtship? Will Schmidt and Winston’s attempts to sabotage their evening quash the dreams of the internet’s legion of shippers?

9:30pm, Fox
The Mindy Project
“Pretty Man” gender-bends rom-com classic Pretty Woman, as Mindy inadvertently befriends a male prostitute right when she needs a date for Danny and Alex’s dinner party. Did someone say, “I feel like I’ve read this episode summary before?” Yes. Yes, you did. Because Fox had originally scheduled this one for Tuesday and “My Cool Christian Boyfriend” for tonight, but then flipped them on us. Because Fox is a wily trickster nemesis. This isn’t over between you and me, Fox. Not by a longshot.

9:30pm, NBC
Go On
And lookee here, the Peacock’s also getting into the “let’s toss our Tuesday comedies onto Thursday night and see what shakes out” game. In “Fast Breakup,” K-Ball’s new mascot awakens the green-eyed monster in Ryan, who’s also trying to make sense of both Lauren’s love life and a booze-sodden come-on from his secretary. Is it any wonder he wishes he could solve his problems with a giant foam head and a T-shirt cannon?

SERIES PREMIERE, 10pm, NBC
Hannibal
Showrunner Bryan Fuller brings you the latest spin on popular fiction’s most cultured and charismatic cannibal, played here by Mads Mikkelsen. “Apéritif” opens the series with the not-yet-notorious Dr. Lecter teaming up with an FBI agent (Hugh Dancy) to track a serial killer, though probably not the one who's laid waste the dozens of other shows that’ve occupied this timeslot in the last four years.

10pm, ABC
Scandal
“Molly, You in Danger, Girl” finds Team Olivia realizing they may have flubbed an old case. And not in a “we’ll laugh about this one day at the office holiday party” kind of way. More like a “welp, now we’re all in mortal peril” kind of way. In relationship developments, Olivia and Jake’s romance is on the upswing, while Fitz and Mellie plumb new lows.

10pm, FX
Archer
Cheryl sets off on a salubrious voyage to the Bermuda Triangle alongside her loving brother Cecil and his squeeze Tiffy (guest-stars Eugene Mirman and Kristen Schaal). There, the Tunt siblings and companion encounter mystery, adventure, and quite likely a cliffhanger ending, if the title “Sea Tunt: Part I” is to be believed.

LATE-NITE:
– From Atlanta, Charles Barkley and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis on Conan, 11pm, TBS
– Guest host Ross Matthews on Chelsea Lately, 11pm, E!
– Danny Boyle on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, 11pm, Comedy Central
– Dr. Francis S. Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, on The Colbert Report, 11:30pm, Comedy Central
– Eva Longoria, Terry Crews, and a performance from Cavalia’s “Odysseo” on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 11:35pm, NBC
– Martin Short and Tyler, the Creator on Late Show with David Letterman, 11:35pm, CBS
– Goran Visnjic and Seth Sentry on Jimmy Kimmel Live, 11:35pm, ABC
– Melissa McCarthy, Chris Jericho, and Ryan Bingham on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 12:37am, NBC

View the original article here

What to watch on Wednesday, March 27...

SEASON 2 FINALE, 8pm & 8:30pm, NBC
Whitney
The season’s final hour kicks off with “Alex, Meet Lily,” in which Whitney drafts her beau into forging a bond with her bud, who’s in the market for a comrade of the male persuasion. “Cake, Cake, Cake,” winds up Season 2 with Whitney growing concerned when she spies her psychiatrist (Chelsea Handler) going to town on a birthday cake solo. I take the good doctor’s side on this one; extremism in consumption of cake is no vice.

8pm, The CW
Arrow
A denizen of The Glades is out for the blood of anyone he considers an enemy of the neighborhood, and Roy is next on his hit list in “Salvation.” And speaking of future-and/or-present masked archers marked for death, Malcolm tasks Moira with tracking down his own would-be assassin.

SEASON 1 FINALE, 8:30pm, ABC
The Neighbors
The Zabvronians may be recalled to their home planet when Dick receives a fateful call from his grandfather as sci-fi icons George Takei and Mark Hamill help “It Has Begun...” wrap up The Neighbors' freshman season. Before they pack their space-bags, though, the Bird-Kersees join the Weavers in Atlantic City, where Larry displays a knack for blackjack and Jackie yearns for Earth-style nuptials.

9pm, The CW
Supernatural
When the Winchesters look into a string of bumped-off vampires in “Freaks and Geeks,” they turn up a shadowy man who’s grooming the orphans of vamp victims into a slayer army. Dean suspects the man’s motives aren’t on the up-and-up. Sam mostly admires the kids’ merit badges, especially the bitchin’ one for Holy Water Scalding.

9pm, NBC
Law & Order: SVU
After accusing her cameraman of rape, a sports reporter learns she’s with child as a result. At trial, the defense employs what the synopsis calls “questionable tactics” to sway the jury, and I don’t even dare speculate on what those might be, given that the title of the episode is “Legitimate Rape.”

10pm, ABC
Nashville
“When You’re Tired of Breaking Other Hearts” finds Rayna sitting down with Katie Couric to spill her guts about her domestic and professional lives. At the rate Nashville is burning through guest stars from ABC’s news division, Season 2 will resort to Scarlett chatting up a couple of adolescent correspondents from those Disney Channel interstitials. Elsewhere this week, Juliette attempts a power play to control her album launch, while Deacon becomes smitten with his dog’s new vet.

10pm, TNT
Southland
John confronts his demons as he endeavors to save Hicks in “Heroes,” while Lydia and Ruben attempt to track down a John Doe. Meanwhile, Ben and Elena kick things up a notch, and Sammy is wracked with guilt over his lie about the tape.

100TH EPISODE, 10pm, USA
Psych
Shawn and Gus attend a clandestine party at a swanky mansion in “100 Clues,” secrecy and swankiness and being two of Shawn and Gus’s unquestioned strong suits, naturally. The host is a one-time rock star who has no memory of committing the murder he was arrested for years ago.

SEASON 28 PREMIERE, 10pm, MTV
The Real World: Portland
A new crew of seven strangers is shunted into a loft and documented as the reality TV grande dame returns. Tune in to find out whether there are still veins of social observation and/or humor about the Pacific Northwest burg’s distinctive culture that haven’t yet been mined by three seasons of Portlandia and sundry internet memes, or if the producers will just fall back on a bunch of gags about artisanal booze.

LATE-NITE:
– Seth Green and Charles Phoenix on Conan, 11pm, TBS
– Past interviews include Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, and Rascal Flatts on Chelsea Lately, 11pm, E!
– Eva Mendes on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, 11pm, Comedy Central
– Iowa pig farmer Carl Edgar Blake II on The Colbert Report, 11:30pm, Comedy Central
– Kristin Chenoweth, magician Justin Willman, and Josh Groban on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 11:35pm, NBC
– Donald Trump, Gary Gulman and Wavves on Late Show with David Letterman, 11:35pm, CBS
– Bruce Willis, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Divine Fits on Jimmy Kimmel Live, 11:35pm, ABC
– Kathie Lee Gifford, James Purefoy, and Dido on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 12:37am, NBC
– Don Rickles and Radha Mitchell on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, 12:37am, CBS

View the original article here

A quirky, non-traditional family works together to raise a precocious child with some help from their off-beat friends, including awkward co-workers and non-threatening exes. Sounds a lot like Raising Hope or The New Normal or the late Ben and Kate, all of which have obviously influenced ABC's new midseason comedy How to Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life), right down to the sexual grandmas (and great-grandmas) and the indulgent (usually-in-a-good-way-but-sometimes-in-a-creepy-way) parents.

Single parents navigating the waters of child-rearing with a little backup from their zany families and friendlies aren't anything new to television, but unlike police procedurals and Grey's Anatomy wannabes, I don't think we can necessarily have too many of them because, you know, different strokes and all that. But how will this one measure up? I've seen the pilot and I'm ready to tell you just that.

Obnoxious title aside (we'll get to that in a few), what's HTLWYPFTROYL about? 

Scrubs alum Sarah Chalke plays Polly, an uptight mom who left her lovable loser husband Julian (Jon Dore of The Jon Dore Television Show) to move back in with her free spirit parents, Elaine and Max (Weeds' Elizabeth Perkins Everybody Loves Raymond's Brad Garrett, respectively). Along for the ride are Polly's scared-of-everything daughter, Natalie (relative newcomer Rachel Eggleston), and Polly's twenty-something co-worker/bestie, Jenn (Friday Night Lights' Stephanie Hunt). Polly wants to be a better mother to Natalie than Elaine was to her, but the debate over what actually makes a good mother is one of those debates that is clearly meant to be a theme of the show.

Who decided that a series with a title that's harder to remember when it's shortened was a good idea?

Claudia Lonow, primarily known as Diana Fairgate on Knots Landing, but who also claims producing credits on Less Than Perfect and Cashmere Mafia, created the series and serves as an executive producer alongside Brian Grazer (Arrested Development, 24, Friday Night Lights, Parenthood) and Francie Calfo (The Playboy Club, Scoundrels).

When does HTLWYPFTROYL air?

Wednesdays at 9:30pm, starting April 3 on ABC.

Will I like HTLWYPFTROYL?

If you like Raising Hope, you might like How to Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life). It's the latest in a long line of goofy-but-has-a-heart sitcoms about an entire village of oddballs getting together to raise a cute kid. Weeds fans will definitely see flashes of Celia in Perkins' Elaine. Chalke's Polly is basically Elliot with a kid. There are raunchy lines combined with situations to accommodate your saccharine family moments, so it's not a complete cheese-fest. It's just one of those shows that if you like that sort of show, then you'll probably like it. If quirky family sitcoms make you want to scream, I'd spare your vocal chords and steer clear.

What's good about HTLWYPFTROYL?

The casting is solid, boasting a strong ensemble of comedy and dramedy veterans, so chemistry, delivery, and all the other good things that make a cast fun to watch aren't really an issue. The writing (at least in the first episode) is strong. Everybody is pretty lovable, including the supposedly horrific parents Polly moves back in with. The pilot balances funny sitcom stuff with the heavier family themes pretty well. If the show can maintain that balance, I think How to Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) might eventually overcome its awful, cringey title. Or maybe the title will work in the show's favor; I went in expecting crap and was pleasantly surprised to get something better.

What's bad about HTLWYPFTROYL (other than the title)?

No, actually we need to talk about the title because the mouthful is so ridiculous and cumbersome that I think it could easily repel potential viewers with its impressive ridiculousness. How to Live With Your Parents alone might have sufficed, and honestly, that's what I personally call it when I'm not trying to masochistically sound out something resembling a word when forced to resort to an acronym that looks like it might actually be the name of some sort of new pharmaceutical drug. But even How to Live With Your Parents on it's own doesn't fully convey what the show is about. It's not about a grumpy teenager who rebels against her curfew and cries because Daddy didn't buy her an iPhone 5 as soon as it came out. It's not about twenty-something recent grads forced to bunk in Mom's basement because the job market blows and, in retrospect, majoring in Napoleonic French history with a concentration in poetry and a minor in Sociology probably wasn't the wisest career move.

There are also visual references that pop up throughout the pilot in the form of arrows pointing to new faces, with nifty introductions and explanations of who they are and what they do. Personally, I think they're a cute way to avoid getting bogged down in exposition, but I can see how they might get annoying in the long run (if they last). The shortcut can also be frustrating if you're not the type of viewer who parks it on the sofa and doesn't move for the entire duration of an episode since they kind of require you to, you know, pay attention.

And finally, I don't know how long Polly's anal-retentive, clingy, helicopter parenting can go on before it turns her into "the annoying one" in the cast. 

Do you recommend watching HTLWYPFTROYL?

I'd give it a shot. I've only seen the pilot, so I can't vouch for long-term enjoyment, but I enjoyed the pilot. There's nothing particularly groundbreaking here, but it's a seems like an enjoyable series if you like types of shows it's descended from.

Where can I sample this hellish acronym action for myself?

There are some clips on Hulu, and here's a trailer: 

What beverages should I have on hand if I decide to tune in to HTLWYPFTROYL?

Elaine suggests a morning tequila and Max claims that the blue pills are the fun ones. I would stick to one or the other unless, you decide halfway through that you don't want to remember what you're watching.

How to Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) premieres Wednesday, April 3 at 9:30pm on ABC.

View the original article here

What to watch on Tuesday, April 2...

SEASON 1 FINALE, 9pm & 9:30pm, NBC
The New Normal
Ryan Murphy’s sitcom winds up its freshman season with back-to-back episodes. First, in “Finding Name-O,” Bryan and David’s struggles to think up a quality baby name sparks tension, while Brice’s advice leads Clay to consider pouring his heart out to Goldie. Then in the finale, “The Big Day,” Bryan and David’s determination to seal their nuptials before the baby arrives may be thwarted, since no wedding in sitcom history has ever eluded at least mild thwarting.

9:30pm, Fox
The Mindy Project
Mindy dates a man of the cloth in “My Cool Christian Boyfriend,” but when he questions her ethical bona fides, she decides to prove him wrong by joining the medical practice’s volunteer excursion to a women’s prison. Meanwhile, I question the ethical bona fides of Fox flipping this episode with the one scheduled for Thursday, "Pretty Man," at the last minute, solely to flummox viewers and writers of summary blurbs alike.

SEASON 4 FINALE, 10pm, FX
Justified
Detroit brings the fight to Raylan for a final showdown as “Ghosts” concludes the stellar fourth season. Meanwhile, Boyd and Ava try to bury a past misdeed once and for all, while Constable Bob is probably off recuperating with a hearty take-out order from KFC.

10pm, NBC
Smash
“The Parents” finds Tom’s hands full when the Bombshell cast welcomes Leigh Conroy (guest-star Bernadette Peters)—as well as her years of animosity with Ivy, dating back to a 1989 flare-up of the Tastes Great-Less Filling Wars. In developments that won’t inspire me to date myself via beer commericial references, Karen and Jimmy’s relationship is put to the test, and Derek uncovers more details about Jimmy’s past as the first chunk of “Hit List” goes public.

10pm, CBS
Golden Boy
A subway shooting may be linked to the years-ago murder of McKenzie’s brother, leading her to pursue justice for her family in “McKenzie on Fire.” Meanwhile, Owen is troubled by the prospect of retiring in two years, even though TV bylaws dictate that if this show runs long enough, he can take advantage of the George Feeny Clause governing non-retiring retiring mentors.

10pm, ABC
Body of Proof
When a rash of rabies cases in “Skin and Bones” leaves Tommy bitten by one rabid victim, Kate and Megan turn to new health commissioner Luke Perry for help with the investigation. “Could it really be zombies?” ABC’s press site asks, nudging us in the ribs assiduously and hoping we’ll all play along as if the network’s execs are “down” with the zombie zeitgeist the kids are into these days.

10pm, TBS
Cougar Town
Dear TV.com readers: We accept that the fact that we have to mention Cougar Town’s extended Breakfast Club riff, featuring inner monologues by all the Cul-de-Sac Crew, in this blurb about “The Criminal Mind.” But we think you’re crazy to make us write something about what we think happens in it. You see TV episode summaries as you want to see them, in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what've we found out is that each one of us is hang-out sitcom... and a reality show competition... and a pop-culture parody... and a family drama... and a gritty cable serial. Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, What to Watch Tuesday. *Pumps fist*

LATE-NITE:
– From Atlanta, Paul Rudd and Von Grey on Conan, 11pm, TBS
– Busy Philipps on Chelsea Lately, 11pm, E!
– Historian Jonathan Sperber on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, 11pm, Comedy Central
– Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey on The Colbert Report, 11:30pm, Comedy Central
– Blake Shelton and Jim Rome on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 11:35pm, NBC
– Regis Philbin and a performance by the Broadway cast of “Cinderella” on Late Show with David Letterman, 11:35pm, CBS
– Bill Maher, Giancarlo Esposito, and Cold War Kids on Jimmy Kimmel Live, 11:35pm, ABC
– Tracy Morgan, Andy Cohen, Deerhunter, and B.J. Thomas on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 12:37am, NBC

View the original article here

What to watch on Tuesday, March 26...

8pm, CBS
NCIS
In “Squall,” the team investigates a killing aboard a Navy ship in the aftermath of a storm. Complicating matters: The suspect list includes an admiral who also happens to be McGee’s estranged father.

8pm, The CW
Here Comes Peter Cottontail
What fits The CW brand better than an animated rabbit voiced by Danny Kaye? How about animated rabbits voiced by Vincent Price and Casey Kasem! You’ll find all these goodies and more nestled in the colorful Easter basket that is this 1971 Rankin-Bass holiday special.

9pm, NBC
Go On
“Matchup Problems” finds Anne setting Ryan up with a recent widow—and then competing for her affections when said widow turns out to have designs on both of them. Geez, guest-star Courteney Cox, does fidelity between former sitcom spouses count for nothing anymore? These are dark times we live in. Dark, sexy times.

9pm, Fox
New Girl
The passing of a relative prompts a Miller family reunion in “Chicago,” and since Nick’s mom is Margo Martindale and his younger brother is Nick Kroll, the gang is sure to be glad they tagged along to share in the shenanigans. Jess will probably treat Mrs. Miller more gently than Keri Russell did a few weeks ago, anyway.

SEASON 4 FINALE, 9pm, Syfy
Face Off
The final three are whisked away to Vegas to design waterproof styles for the stage show Le Reve: The Dream. Then the season’s winner will be crowned, only to shock everyone with the reveal that he's Nicolas Cage posing as an ambitious professional makeup artist.

10pm, ABC
Body of Proof
Romance has its ups and its downs, as Kate experiences in “Fallen Angel.” Sometimes you meet a dashing man at a political event, partake in some invigorating flagrante delicto, and that’s that. Other times you discover that the guy is probably tied to a young girl’s murder, and you have to call on your cop friends (like Megan) to get to the bottom of things. C’est l’amour, mes amis.

10pm, TBS
Cougar Town
The cul-de-sac crew awakens to the unexpected joys of aging when an elderly couple buys Grayson’s house and joins their midst. Elsewhere in “This Old Town,” Travis searches for a Penny Can partner, and Bobby’s latest flop spurs him to rechristen his boat, possibly as the S.S. Shop Target for Great Savings on All Your Favorite Brands.

10pm, FX
Justified
Having eluded the Detroit mafia in Harlan, Raylan tries to get the Drew Thompson case back on track in “Peace of Mind.” Accomplishing that means spiriting Ellen May away from the clutches of Limehouse—before Boyd can get to her. (Also, too, it probably means shooting people.)

LATE-NITE:
– Vanessa Hudgens, Jerry Trainor, and Emily Heller on Conan, 11pm, TBS
– Past interviews featuring Hayden Panettiere, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Vanessa Hudgens on Chelsea Lately, 11pm, E!
– Journalist and author Michael Moss on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, 11pm, Comedy Central
– Cardiologist and author Eric Topol on The Colbert Report, 11:30pm, Comedy Central
– Keith Urban, Paula Deen, and Django Django on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 11:35pm, NBC
– Brian Williams, national grocery-bagging champion Andrew Borracchini, and Pegi Young & The Survivors on Late Show with David Letterman, 11:35pm, CBS
– Jeremy Piven on Jimmy Kimmel Live, 11:35pm, ABC
– Ice-T, Chris Hardwick, and Little Green Cars on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 12:37am, NBC
– Sarah Chalke and author Lawrence Block on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, 12:37am, CBS

View the original article here

What to watch on Thursday, February 28...

8pm, NBC
Community
Lo these past three-plus weeks, a nation has risen up and asked, pleadingly, with one voice: Wherefore art thou, Ben Chang? The bane of the study group resurfaces at Greendale in “Alternative History of the German Invasion,” which also introduces the gang to their new Europeanhistory class and their new professor, guest-star Malcolm McDowell.

8pm, ABC
Zero Hour
In “Pendulum,” Hank, Arron, and Rachel follow an FBI tip toward a link between the next clock and a famous historical personage. Which figure from history should I shoehorn in a joke about here: a) Former U.N. Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld; b) 12th century polymath Ibn Rushd; or c) Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, First Duke of Wellington, bester of Napoleon at Waterloo? Text your choice to WTWT. Normal messaging charges may apply.

MINISERIES FINALE, 9pm, HBO
Parade’s End
Christopher (Benedict Cumberbatch) spells a troubled commander on the front lines, even as developments at home weigh heavily on him. Upon returning to Groby, he must face Sylvia (Rebecca Hall) and her attempts to impede him from a life with Valentine.

10pm, FX
Archer
Rare is the caliber of person who can play on the same level of unbridled dickishness as one Sterling Malory Archer. But a celebrity chef—specifically one voiced by guest-star Anthony Bourdain—may just be the spy’s match, when the ISIS crew infiltrates a high-profile kitchen in “Live and Let Dine.”

SERIES PREMIERE, 10pm, Comedy Central
The Ben Show With Ben Hoffman
The comedian enlists the help of experts and random strangers as he sets out to achieve personal goals in this new sketch series, part of Comedy Central’s ongoing mission to fill 24 hours a day with eponymous sketch comedy shows. In the premiere, Hoffman deploys skits, songs, animation, and man-on-the-street interviews in his quest to buy a gun.

SERIES PREMIERE, 10:30pm, Comedy Central
Nathan for You
Nathan Fielder parlays his business degree and his experience on Comedy Central shows like Jon Benjamin Has A Van into a Comedy Central show where he helps small businesses. The first subjects to experience Fielder's blend of marketing and mirth are a frozen yogurt shop jazzing up its flavor selection and a pizza place hastening its delivery service.

LATE-NITE:
– Eugene Mirman on Conan, 11pm, TBS
– Kate Mara on Chelsea Lately, 11pm, E!
– Rachel Maddow on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, 11pm, Comedy Central
– White House speechwriter Jon Favreau on The Colbert Report, 11:30pm, Comedy Central
– Steve Carell, Joey King, and Shooter Jennings on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 11:35pm, NBC
– Jim Parsons, California lieutenant governor Gavin Newsom, and Ziggy Marley on Jimmy Kimmel Live, 11:35pm, ABC
– Tina Fey, Bill Nighy, and Bob Mould on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 12:37am, NBC
– David Duchovny and Ashley Madewke on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, 12:37am, CBS

View the original article here

What to watch on Thursday, November 8...

The Burn Notice gang is back.

If you're anything like me, you're having a really hard time adjusting to this Daylight Savings time shift! It gets dark at like noon now! To combat the feeling of impending doom, do what I do: Close all your blinds and turn the brightness on your TV all the way up and it will be like a tropical vacation with all your favorite characters. Problem solved, and you'll get a sweet tan. Or is it cancer? I forget. Let's settle the difference and call it tancer. And there's plenty of great tancer-causing TV on tonight:

8pm, ABC
Last Resort
It's "Another Fine Navy Day" for Captain Marcus Chaplin and his band of merry seamen, and I'm pretty sure the show is being sarcastic with that episode title because in it, the crew gets attacked with an unknown weapon that makes everyone crazy and stabby. The last time all my friends freaked out on each other like that, it was a mediocre day at best. Let's all tune in and try and get this show a second season, okay?

8pm, NBC
The Voice
Take a hike, comedy! The Voice airs a special live Thursday episode to announce the results of this week's playoff rounds. Will it be that one person or that other person who makes it to the Top 12? Or will it be that OTHER person? Or that OTHER OTHER person? You get the idea. Maroon 5 also performs, which automatically makes this episode a must-watch (if you're into that sort of thing).

8:20pm Eastern / 5:20pm Pacific, NFL Network
NFL Football: Colts vs. Jaguars
This matchup between the upstart rebuilding Indianapolis Colts and the absolutely dismal Jacksonville Jaguars sounds boring, but that's why mankind invented gambling. Inaccuscore prediction: Colts 243, Jaguars 3.

9pm, USA
Burn Notice
Get double the burning sensation as the USA spy drama returns for the second of Season 6 with two episodes. Nate's still murdered and Card is now a two-timer, so how will Michael and his team get revenge for being set up? Lots of bullets and explosions, probably.

9pm, The CW
Beauty and the Beast
If you needed more evidence that being a "beauty" is way better than being a "beast," listen to what happens in "Saturn Returns": Vincent, the *ahem* "beast," stops a robbery at a convenience store only to have his horribly disfigured and high-cheekboned face plastered all over the newspapers. Meanwhile in Everything is Just Great Land, Catherine, the "beauty," has to postpone her birthday plans so her sister can throw her a surprise birthday party. How about a little positive energy for the beast, C-Dub?!?

9pm, CBS
Person of Interest
Those of you who've been petitioning for a Person of Interest and Suburgatory crossover, you'll almost get it in "The High Road," in which the computer sends John Reese to one of the most dangerous places in the world... THE SUBURBS! There he'll play house with Zoe as they pretend to be typical knee-shooting neighbors. This has corny fun written all over it. Bonus: Roy from The Office guest-stars!

9:30pm, NBC
Parks and Recreation
Mike from Breaking Bad (Jonathan Banks) guest-stars as Ben's dad, who will likely be awesomely terrifying. Need I say more? Oh, alright: Jean-Ralphio returns! And probably some cute Leslie-and-Ben-are-engaged-now stuff, too.

10:30pm, FX
The League
In "Judge MacArthur," Kevin tries his hand at becoming a judge, which lands him at a charity event with perennial fantasy football waiver-wire pickup Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Buffalo Bills. The guys also compare something other than their penis size and their SO's cup sizes when they take intelligence tests.

View the original article here

Stop me if you've heard this one before: CBS is about to debut a new police procedural! This time it's called Golden Boy , and it's one of the few midseason entries The Eye has planned for this half of the TV season. But c'mon, is it another run-of-the-mill CBS cop show or is it the next mind-blowingly awesome genre-bending water-cooler-crowding living-room-couch-seatbelt-needing SUPER TV ART PIECE? Well, pal, I've seen the first two episodes and I'm about to answer some of those questions. Here we go!

The hour-long drama centers on Walter William Clark, Jr. ( Bedlam 's Theo James, another Brit trying to crack the U.S.), a self-made man from a rough background who is shooting up the ranks of the New York Police Department faster than a precinct captain can take down a glazed donut (cop humor!). In fact, we know that in seven years he'll be the youngest police commissioner in the history of the NYPD because the pilot tells us that right in the beginning! Yup, Golden Boy shows us the end (seven years later) before it shows us the boring middle point, and that's part of its gimmick. In the future, Clark is police chief and explaining how he got there. In the past, where we spend the bulk of our time, he's a beat cop who just got promoted to detective. So I guess that makes it kind of like How I Met Your Police Commissioner ?

Nicholas Wootton, who previously wrote and produced some serious copper shows like N.Y.P.D. Blue and Law & Order , as well as Chuck . Prolific producer Greg Berlanti ( No Ordinary Family , Dirty Sexy Money , Arrow ) is also on board.

Golden Boy debuts in a special slot on Tuesday, February 26 at 10pm on CBS. Then it'll air Episode 2 on Tuesday, March 5 before moving to Fridays at 9pm (right in front of Blue Bloods ) on March 8.

CBS isn't rocking the boat too hard here, delivering a procedural that will keep its preinstalled audience happy. But there is a bit of trickery at play, designed to make Golden Boy slightly more than what you're used to, and there's also a heavy character-driven part of the series that's trying to keep pace with cable dramas, draw in younger viewers, and stock trophy cases with awards. If you can't get enough of, "FREEZE! This is the police!" then this will be right up your alley.

It's slightly more than a procedural, with some opportunity for some great characterization if the show goes where I hope it goes with Clark and the other detectives (please go there, show!). Some of the action scenes are very solid, and the show knows how to do high-intensity very well. And the gimmick about jumping forward seven years in the future has lots of potential if it's used right. If the first two episodes are any indication, it looks like each season will move in a linear fashion. But could they surprise us and jump around across the timeline? The possibility for time travel is there (though it might be a bit much for CBS to go very far with it). Also, can Chi McBride be in every television show? The man is awesome, and he's his usual fantastic self in Golden Boy as Clark's mentor and partner. It's nice to see Holt McCallany ( Lights Out ) back on TV as well.

Here's the thing about Clark: He's kind of a dick. His drive and determination are admirable, but he isn't exactly happy-fun-times to hang out with for an hour. But that's not necessarily a deal-breaker because Clark the Dick is the character the show wants to explore. He's not a nice guy, but we're supposed to root for him anyway. And because we spend time in the future we know the fates of some of the characters in the past. Depending on your particular tastes, that could ruin the surprise. Aside from the gimmick and a larger focus on character, Golden Boy is fairly standard as far as police procedurals go.

This is one to keep an eye on, so if you're a fan of the genre, give it a look with medium expectations. At worst, it's a decent network procedural that echoes Southland but in the Big Apple. At best, it uses its time-jumping technique to great effect and really brings its characters to life, possibly reshaping the police drama.

Hmmm... okay.

Vodka. Rocks. And be mean about it.

Golden Boy premieres Tuesday, February 26 at 10pm on CBS.

View the original article here

What to watch on Tuesday, October 30...

Happy Election Day! After nearly a solid year of campaign speeches, debates, and Colbert Report- and Daily Show-skewering, we've only got hours to go until we get the final word! So, stock up on snacks and cold beverages, because tonight could be a loooong one, depending on the outcome (and your political persuasion). Here's what's on, both election-related and otherwise.

LIVE on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, CSPAN
2012 Election Coverage
It's a big night for all major news outlets, with the fun beginning at 4pm Eastern on CNN's Election Day in America with Wolf Blitzer. Later in the evening, ABC, CBS, NBC will start election coverage at 7pm Eastern, followed by CSPAN, Fox, MSNBC and PBS at 8pm Eastern. Plus, Current TV will offer a roundtable at 7pm Eastern with Jennifer Granholm, Eliot Spitzer, Cenk Uygur, and John Fugelsang. Check your local listings to confirm airtimes on your election coverage network of choice.

10pm, USA
Covert Affairs
If you need a break from the election, check out tonight's new episode of Covert Affairs, "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)." In it, Annie and Eyal are on this renegade mission to find an important asset who has vanished from protective custody. Meanwhile, Joan isn't too thrilled about the situation and gives Annie some serious lecturing over the phone in a scary monster-like kind of way. P.S. That last part may or may not be true, but I think we can all agree that getting lectured in general can be an unpleasant experience.

10pm, FX
Sons of Anarchy
In tonight's "Andare Pescare" (translation: go fishing), Jax continues to get closer to the truth, but there are still some obstacles in the way. Meanwhile, Gemma gets close to Clay... maybe they'll go fishing together?

10pm, Syfy
Total Blackout
In "Creatures of Darkness," contestants must transfer unknown creatures of the sea between tanks. Later, we'll see them navigate through some sort of cross-maze full of unknown surprises.

10pm, MTV
Underemployed
In "The Days of Yore," Lou and Raviva argue over money, Miles is hired on Daphne's campaign, and Sophia get's a surprise visit from her parents.

LIVE, 11pm, Comedy Central
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Live Election Night Special
Laughter may be the best medicine on election night, and this particular dose is most effective when taken live. In tonight's special "Election Night 2012: This Ends Now," Jon Stewart and regular Daily Show correspondents like Samantha Bee, Wyatt Cenac, Jason Jones, Al Madrigal, Aasif Mandvi, John Oliver, and Jessica Williams will be reporting on state-by-state election returns with a sense of humor.

LIVE, 11:30pm, Comedy Central
The Colbert Report: Live Election Night Special
Tonight's special live election episode features one of the longest titles I've ever had to type out: "Election 2012: A Nation Votes, Ohio Decides; The Re-Presidenting of America: Who Will Replace Obama? '012!"—and will feature analysis of the results along with a guest appearance by Andrew Sullivan.

View the original article here

What to watch on Monday, September 24...

Much like last Thursday's What to Watch was pretty much overrun by NBC returns, tonight it's CBS's time to shine. With a handful of returns on top of a brand new addition to its Monday night line-up, "CBS Mondays" is shaping up to be a pretty decent night for television. THE SUMMER IS ALMOST OVER, GUYS! We've almost made it! And with that, let's take a look at what's on TV tonight:

SEASON 8 PREMIERE, 8pm, CBS
How I Met Your Mother
The series starts up just where it left off, with wedding bells ringing as Barney and Robin prepare for marriage. Of course, their concerns that the other will get cold feet and run sort of puts a downer on the whole event. All of the fears and pre-wedding jitters brings Ted right back to how he felt when he was about to marry Victoria—and how he was so adamant that she write her new fiancé a note describing that she left him at the altar. Phew, sounds like a heavy one!

SEASON FINALE, 8pm, The CW
The L.A. Complex
For the second week in a row, the CW is airing two new episodes of The L.A. Complex back-to-back, but THIS time the second episode (airing at 9pm) will also be the finale. If you're the kind of person who just likes to tie up loose ends, then you should make sure to at least catch the tail end of this two hour block. In the first "Xs and Os" everybody is panicking about the state of their lives: Abby worries about her impulsive behavior with Gary, Beth worries she'll lose Simon, Kall worries about his relationship with his father, Connor worries after his sister does something shocking, and Nick worries after suffering a career blow. Man, easy on the anxiety, folks! Then, in the finale, "Don't Say Goodbye," Connor gets uncomfortable with Charlotte and finds solace in Scienetics (I'm really hoping that's L.A. Complex code for Scientology, because it would be hilarious if this show went there) and Raquel gets ready for her big fund-raising event. Also, Beth keeps fighting for Simon. Maybe it's just something she should let go, did she ever think about that?

SERIES PREMIERE, 8:30pm, CBS
Partners
In CBS's brand new sitcom, two long-term business partners (one straight and one gay) are in the middle of a life-changing decision—for one of them: Joe (the straight one, I can only assume) is wavering on whether or not to ask his girlfriend to marry him. Good thing for good friends, right? When Louis makes an attempt to get involves (with the best of intensions of course), his efforts do more harm than good. Yep, sounds like a sitcom.

SEASON 2 PREMIERE, 9pm, CBS
2 Broke Girls
In "And the Hidden Stash" we kick off as Max and Caroline make their way up to a white-collar prison to visit Caroline's father (Steven Weber). Once there, he encourages them to show up at the Channing estate auction to buy a very specific item. Sounds just sketchy enough to work!

SEASON 5 PREMIERE, 10pm, ABC
Castle
In "After the Storm"—which is a very fitting title, don'tcha think?—Beckett and Castle re-evaluate their relationship after waking up from their heated night of passion. Spicy! While they work all of that out, they also have to deal with facing the folks who murdered Beckett's mother and who are now, subsequently, after Beckett, herself. Also, Beckett butts heads with a Senator. Wow, Beckett is really the center of conflict right now, isn't she?

PLUS ALL NEW EPISODES OF...
2012 Emmy Awards Fashion Wrap, SPECIAL, 8 p.m., TV Guide
Alphas, 8 p.m., Syfy
Basketball Wives LA, 8 p.m., VH1
Bones, 8 p.m., Fox
Dancing With the Stars: All Stars, LIVE SEASON PREMIERE, 8 p.m., ABC
Switched at Birth, 8 p.m., ABC Family
The L.A. Complex, TWO EPISODES BACK-TO-BACK—SEASON FINALE AT 9p.m.—8 p.m., The CW
The Voice, 8 p.m., NBC
WWE Monday Night Raw, 8 p.m., USA
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, 8:30 p.m., TLC
All on the Line, 9 p.m., Sundance
American Chopper, 9 p.m., Discovery
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, 9 p.m., Travel
Border Wars, 9 p.m., NatGeo
Blood, Lies, & Alibis, 9 p.m., Investigation Discovery
Get to Work, 9 p.m., Sundance
Love It or List It, 9 p.m., HGTV
Major Crimes, 9 p.m., TNT
Market Warriors, 9 p.m., PBS
T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle, 9 p.m., VH1
The Mob Doctor, 9 p.m., Fox
The Real Housewives of New York City, 9 p.m., Bravo
Warehouse 13, 9 p.m., Syfy
Chrissy & Mr. Jones, SEASON PREMIERE, 9:30 p.m., VH1
Mike & Molly, SEASON PREMIERE, 9:30 p.m., CBS
American Masters, 10 p.m., PBS
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, 10 p.m., Food
Fashion Police, EMMY AWARDS SPECIAL, 10 p.m., E!
Fast N' Loud, 10 p.m., Discovery
Gallery Girls, 10 p.m., Bravo
Hawaii Five-O, SEASON PREMIERE, 10 p.m., CBS
House Hunters, 10 p.m., HGTV
Lovetown, USA, 10 p.m., OWN
Revolution, 10 p.m., NBC
Ridiculousness, 10 p.m., MTV
House Hunters International, 10:30 p.m., HGTV
The Inbetweeners, 10:30 p.m., MTV
Get To Work, 10:30 p.m., Sundance

LATE-NITE HIGHLIGHTS...
Steve Martin and a performance by Gotye on Late Show with David Letterman, 11:35 p.m., CBS
David Spade on Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 11:35 p.m., NBC
Julianna Margulies, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and a performance by The Killers on Jimmy Kimmel Live, 12 a.m., ABC Blake Shelton, Serena Williams, and Andrew Rannells on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 12:37 a.m., NBC
Dennis Quaid and Ellie Kemper on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson, 12:37 a.m., CBS

What are you watching tonight?

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What to watch on Thursday, November 15...

8pm, The CW
The Vampire Diaries
There will be more hallucinations in the Thursday-at-8pm time slot this week, but in Mystic Falls instead of on the island of Sainte Marina. In "We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes," Elena experiences Psycho-esque, blood-in-the-shower hallucinations related to last week's murder, causing her to "make a dangerous mistake."

8:30pm, NBC
Up All Night
Up All Night is celebrating Thanksgiving tonight; do you think Will Arnett, Christina Applegate, and Maya Rudolph are thankful that NBC wants to see their show succeed, or do think they'd rather just get canceled and move onto other jobs instead of switching from single-cam to multi-cam? Anyway, in "Thanksgiving," Reagan somehow causes Chris to miss spending the holiday in Maryland with his family, so she tries to plan a better one at home.

9pm, Fox
Glee
Grease is the word tonight in "Glease," in which the New Directions debut their production of the classic musical. Plus Kurt and Rachel return to McKinley High, and even Santana makes an appearance (presumably "in person," instead of just on Skype). How will Unique do as Rizzo? Will Blaine be the most depressing Teen Angel ever? Tune in to find out!

9pm, Lifetime
Project Runway All Stars
In "Made in the USA Today," the designers must create looks inspired by images sent to them by readers of USA Today. So I guess we should expect a lot of "business traveler chic"?

9:30pm, NBC
Parks and Recreation
Tonight's episode is called "Leslie vs. April," which is reason enough to tune in. Apparently they'll be feuding because April wants to turn Lot 48 into a dog park; will Leslie be able to keep her cool in the presence of April's withering stare? Also on the docket: Ben helps Tom with Rent-a-Swag, Andy works on his CSI skills, and Vice President Joe Biden guest-stars!

SEASON 4 FINALE, midnight, Adult Swim
Childrens Hospital
Adult Swim's excellent 15-minute medical drama spoof show wraps up its fourth season tonight with "Eulogy," which features a special Newsreaders report on the death of one of the Childrens Hospital cast members. Yep, someone's gonna DIE... and if the promos are to be believed, things aren't looking good for ol' Dr. Clown Face. But really, you never know with this show. (Also, I would totally watch an entire Newsreaders spin-off, Adult Swim. Please take note.)

LATE-NITE HIGHLIGHTS:
– Tim Allen, Nolan Gould, and Switchfoot on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, 11:35pm, NBC
– Zooey Deschanel, comic Lisa Lampanelli, and Donald Fagen on Late Night With David Letterman, 11:35 am, CBS
– Mel Brooks, journalist Jake Tapper, and Jason Aldean on Jimmy Kimmel Live, 12am, NBC
– Max Greenfield and Lucy Punch. on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson, 12:37am, CBS

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What to watch on Wednesday, February 27...

8pm, The CW
Arrow
Oliver and Diggle are stunned when they find out that the certainly deceased Deadshot is actually very much alive, because Oliver and Diggle did not realize they are living in a comic-book universe where shit like that happens quite literally all the time. The assassin’s got a bead on Malcolm in “Dead to Rights,” which also finds Ollie juggling his superheroics and his new relationship with McKenna.

8pm, CBS
Survivor: Caramoan - Fans vs. Favorites
In “There’s Gonna Be Hell To Pay,” the bond between Corrine and Malcolm sparks a discovery that could take the game to another level. I can’t even conceive of what kind of bond could be so game-changing, given that they are at least 13 people shy of a full Voltron.

9pm, The CW
Supernatural
Hey, you know what’s so hot right now? Zombies. Know what else is pretty hip with the kids? Ladies doing archery. Is there some way we can work those into an episode? Like, say, maybe Sam and Dean are tracking a zombie-related case, but then, see, it somehow involves an attack by the Greek goddess Artemis—she carried a bow and arrow, right? And then we can call the episode “Remember the Titans,” because, mythology puns, y’know? All right, I like it, it’s gold. Have the first draft on my desk in the morning.

9:30pm, ABC
Suburgatory
When she learns that Ryan hasn’t been completely on the up-and-up, Tessa’s misgivings lead her to mull over their future, as well as her college plans. Now, I’m not much of a “shipper” traditionally, but if these two split up it’s fair to say I will burn the entire Walt Disney Company to the ground with unholy fury. Elsewhere in “Leaving Chatswin,” George is shaken by Marty’s death as he and Noah are tasked with tending to the man’s ashes.

10pm, NBC
Chicago Fire
Severide’s visiting father butts heads with Chief Boden over a tragedy from their past in “Better to Lie,” while Mills lends support to a guilt-ridden driver after a car collision and Shay arrives at a crucial relationship decision. Meanwhile, Hermann, Otis, and Dawson explore a mystery about the bar; could it have any connection to Old Man McGillicuddy, Spanish doubloons, and the legend of the Ghost Knight?

10pm, ABC
Nashville
“Dear Brother” sees Juliette pulling out all the stops for Deacon’s birthday party, and who doesn’t appreciate a much-younger romantic interest taking the time to remind them that they’re yet another year older? In other Music City transpirings, the press makes a meal of Rayna and Teddy’s divorce, and Scarlett is smitten with Gunnar’s hoodlum brother.

SEASON 7 PREMIERE, 10pm, USA
Psych
After getting shot in last season’s finale, Henry is clinging to life at the hospital in “Santabarbaratown 2.” The attack sends Shawn on a mission of revenge against the dirty cops he and his dad were investigating. This doesn’t sound like a “Shawn and Gus do zany cosplay” type episode, but you never can tell with this show.

10pm, TNT
Southland
When the dispatch system malfunctions in “Babel,” LAPD is forced to revive an old Westerosi technique and communicate with officers via messenger ravens. [Full disclosure: Portions of the preceding sentence may not be entirely accurate.] As for the cops themselves, Lydia catches up with an old flame, John is assigned a new partner, and Ben and Sammy’s working relationship is put to the test.

LATE-NITE:
– Johnny Galecki and the Miz on Conan , 11pm, TBS
– Eli Roth on Chelsea Lately , 11pm, E!
– R.J. Cutler on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart , 11pm, Comedy Central
– Museum of Modern Art design curator Paola Antonelli on The Colbert Report , 11:30pm, Comedy Central
– David Duchovny, J.B. Smoove, and Father John Misty on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno , 11:35pm, NBC
– Tina Fey, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Solange on Late Show with David Letterman , 11:35pm, CBS
– Gordon Ramsay, Stanley Tucci, and Gold Fields on Jimmy Kimmel Live , 11:35pm, ABC
– Christian Slater, Mia Wasikowska, and Jason Aldean on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon , 12:37am, NBC
– Tom Lennon and Mike Tyson on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson , 12:37am, CBS

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Groping its way out of a schedule that was becoming a little reality show/Hitler/alien heavy, the History Channel found success last year with its first ever scripted miniseries, Hatfields & McCoys. So now audiences get to be entertained by Vikings, the nine-part tale of legendary Norse hero Ragnar Lodbrok and his rise to the throne of medieval Scandinavia. That’s all well and good, but will the show send you to the paradise of Valhalla, or pillage your brain and put it on a pike? The wise and powerful Odin revealed to me the pilot episode, and here are my thoughts...

What is Vikings?

History’s first “stab” at serialized drama (there are stabs in this show). Our hero Ragnar’s not like other vikings (for one, he’s portrayed by Travis Fimmel, WB’s Tarzan/one of Australia’s 10 million stud actors); instead of raiding the east like his corrupt lord and ruler Jarl Haraldsan  (Gabriel Byrne from In Treatment) keeps commanding him to, Lodbrok longs to travel west, across the ocean, to discover new civilizations. Along for the adventure is his brother Rollo (Clive Standen from Robin Hood and Camelot), and a gaggle of other asymmetrical haircut-sporting familiars. In the romance department, Ragnar’s wife Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick from Bones and holds a 3rd degree black belt) even gets to kick her share of butt as an equally legendary mythological lady warrior (real-life Xena?). Toss in a Skarsgard (Gustaf, the Clint Howard to Alexander’s Ron), some gorgeous Irish nature, and references to Norse gods, and you’ve got a recipe for good times.

Who created Vikings?

Michael Hirst, the writer and creator of Showtime’s The Tudors and a producer of The Borgias. This guy likes doing historical fiction, so History seems like a natural fit.

When does Vikings premiere?

Tomorrow! Sunday, March 3, at 10pm on the History Channel.

What audience is Vikings even for?

Oh you know, dads, dudes, metal heads, and history buffs. Anyone who likes seeing hunks being grimy, screaming brutes and getting impaled, as well as discussions of “fealty” over mugs of mead.

Huh, well what is the best thing about this show?

Its source material: In an age of repurposed, updated old stories and fairy-tale adaptations, it’s refreshing for a regular Norse saga to get a pretty normal treatment. Also, there's some capable folks on the production side of things, with Breaking Bad's Johan Renck directing the first three episodes, and Swedish electronic musicians Fever Ray offering up the credits song. This isn't just some extended dramatization, there's personality here! Also, Fimmel's a charismatic and relatable lead surrounded with an equally dedicated cast and high production values. With Byrne bringing his A-game, there could be the potential here for a super small scale Game of Thrones, albeit without the fantasy element.

And how about what isn't the best?

Since Vikings airs on the History Channel, you can never quite shake the feeling that tons of actual facts about viking life are being seeded into the dialogue (e.g. decrees about feasts, a court scene that explains laws about how many houses a murderer may pass). While fascinating at first, after a while lines like, "Odin gave his eye to acquire knowledge" pull you out of the drama a tiny bit. Also Ragnar's basic trajectory already seems familiar, without any risks being taken through storytelling or innovative character turns. Not every show has to be Enlightened, but if you don't have the patience for slow, straightforward stories, then maybe this ain't your battle to fight.

So, do I watch this, or eavesdrop on my neighbors and their problems?

Hell yeah watch it! If you’re anything like me, then a successful Sunday means cooking up a nice steak, cracking open a craft beer, and watching some muddy-ass sword fights. Vikings isn’t going to change TV as a medium, but makes a strong case for dramatizing a people that've so often been referenced, yet rarely featured.

Can I see a trailer?

Of course!

What beverage should I pair with my viewing?

Mead. Definitely mead.

Vikings premieres Sunday, March 3 at 10pm on the History Channel.

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